DAVID HAYE’S reported intention to retire from boxing has now become increasingly tenuous when it was revealed the Londoner is still in talks to face Vitali Klitschko as early as February next year.

Haye is expected to fulfil a long-held ambition of formally announcing his retirement on his 31st birthday tomorrow after the British Boxing Board of Control confirmed he has not re-applied for his licence.

However even by professional boxing standards, Haye’s announcement is set to be rendered meaningless as he continues to court the elder Klitschko in a bid to gain revenge for his poor loss to Wladimir in Hamburg in July.

The Klitschkos’ promoter Bernd Boente said: “Adam (Booth, Haye’s manager) and myself actually just spoke with each other and we are in constant contact.

“We are still waiting for some numbers from British TV and then we’ll see if the business case is realistic and then we will do the fight or Vitali will fight another opponent in February or March next year.

“Both fighters are willing to do the fight, but it only depends on the business case. When we have all the numbers on the table and know where the fight will happen, we go from there.

“A realistic time frame is from mid-February to mid-March. This fight will definitely have to be in a soccer stadium again and then we have to see what stadiums are available and then we make the next step.

“This way or that way Vitali will definitely fight in February or March his next fight, either against David Haye or someone else.

“We are also discussing with other opponents because we can’t depend 100% on David Haye.”